Where it blocks23 of 23
Blocking16 of 26
Privacy and trust10 of 20
Price28 of 31
ad blocker · AdGuard
AdGuard DNS
DNS service that blocks ads, trackers and malicious domains on any device, with free public servers and a $19.99-a-year private plan.
In short
- Public AdGuard DNS servers are free and block ads, trackers, malware and phishing sites3,10.
- Personal costs $19.99 a year before VAT and covers 20 devices2.
- The Personal plan allows custom rules and custom blocklists, up to 1,000 rules2,6.
- A 30-day money-back guarantee applies to 1-year plans; monthly plans are not refundable9.
- The AdGuard DNS server source code is public under AGPL-3.08.
AdGuard DNS suits people who want ads, trackers and malicious domains blocked on every device by changing a DNS setting, with a free tier to start3,4. The Personal plan adds your own rules and blocklists for $19.99 a year2,5,6. The catch: custom rules need the paid private service, and DNS filtering cannot hide the blank space where an ad was4,5.
Best for: People who want device-wide blocking and a plan with their own rules.
Where the points come from
Where it blocks 23 of 23 points
| Rule | What is published | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Windows browsers | Chrome, Edge, Firefox, OperaThe vendor says DNS filtering covers all apps and programs that send web requests, not just browsers; Windows setup is a system DNS change3,4. | 12 / 12 |
| Blocks outside the browser | YesA system DNS setting on Windows filters other programs too, per the vendor's DNS filtering article3,4. | 5 / 5 |
| Phone protection | iOS, AndroidThe public DNS page has setup guides for Android Private DNS and an iOS configuration profile3. | 6 / 6 |
Blocking 16 of 26 points
| Rule | What is published | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Still works in Chrome after Manifest V2 | YesA DNS service, so it blocks outside the Chrome extension system3. | 4 / 4 |
| Your own block rules | YesPrivate DNS lets you add rules to block or unblock domains, and add custom blocklists by URL; Personal allows 1,000 rules5,6. | 7 / 7 |
| Malicious site blocking | YesThe Default public server blocks ads, trackers, malware and phishing websites; the home page also lists malicious domains1,10. | 5 / 5 |
| Cookie pop-up blocking | Not publishedNot published on the vendor's DNS knowledge-base pages4,5. | 0 / 4 |
| No ad allow-list on by default | Not publishedDefault filter lists are not named on the vendor's blocklists page6. | 0 / 6 |
Privacy and trust 10 of 20 points
| Rule | What is published | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Open source | Not publishedA DNS resolver repository is public under AGPL-3.0, but the README names no client apps and does not say it runs the service8. | 0 / 10 |
| No browsing history kept | YesPublic DNS processes no personal data; private DNS users can disable query logging in account settings7. | 6 / 6 |
| Works without an account | YesPublic server setup steps for Windows, Android, iOS and macOS mention no account3. | 4 / 4 |
Price 28 of 31 points
| Rule | What is published | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | YesPublic servers are free with no stated limit; the Starter plan is also free2,3. | 12 / 12 |
| Cheapest paid plan | $1.67/moPersonal, $19.99 a year billed yearly before VAT2. | 9 / 12 |
| Devices on one paid plan | 20Personal covers up to 20 devices2. | 4 / 4 |
| Money-back guarantee | Yes30-day money-back guarantee for 1-year plans9. | 3 / 3 |
The rule behind each line: how we score ad blockers.
Plans and prices
As the vendor lists them, before tax. Prices are in US dollars unless the plan shows euros; the points use US dollars, with euros converted at the ECB rate.
| Plan | Price as listed | Per month | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public serversAny number of devices | Free3 | $0 | Default, Family protection and Non-filtering servers |
| Starter1 person | Free2 | $0 | 300,000 requests a month, 5 devices, 100 user rules; needs sign-up |
| Personal (yearly)1 person | $19.99/year2 | $1.67 | 10 million requests a month, 20 devices, 1,000 user rules |
| Personal (monthly)1 person | $2.49/month2 | $2.49 | Same limits as the yearly plan |
Prices are shown before VAT. The page labels the yearly plan "+VAT, billed annually" and the renewal price is the same $19.992.
Strengths
- Setup guides cover Windows, Android, iOS and macOS, with no app to install3.
- Vendor says DNS filtering covers all apps and programs that send web requests, not only browsers4.
- Personal renews at the same $19.99 a year and covers 20 devices2.
- Private DNS logging can be turned off in account settings7.
- Server source code is on GitHub under AGPL-3.08.
What AdGuard says
Vendor claims. We show them, but they earn no points.
- AdGuard says it has built privacy-oriented products since 2009 and has more than 120 million users2.
Other ad blockers
- 1
uBlock OriginPeople who want a free, open-source blocker with their own filter rules95/100$0cheapest paid plan - 2
GhosteryPeople who want a free, open-source blocker with cookie pop-up handling82/100$0cheapest paid plan - 4
Control DPeople who want to filter every device by DNS and write their own domain rules73/100$2.50/mocheapest paid plan - 5
NextDNSPeople who want one blocker for every app and device on the network71/100$1.86/mocheapest paid plan
AdGuard DNS vs uBlock Origin · AdGuard DNS vs Ghostery · All 12 ad blockers
Sources
- AdGuard DNS, AdGuard. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
- AdGuard DNS plans and pricing, AdGuard. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
- Public AdGuard DNS, AdGuard. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
- DNS filtering, AdGuard Knowledge Base. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
- Private AdGuard DNS overview, AdGuard Knowledge Base. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
- Blocklists, AdGuard Knowledge Base. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
- AdGuard DNS privacy policy, AdGuard. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
- AdguardTeam/AdGuardDNS, GitHub. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
- Terms of sale, AdGuard. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
- Public AdGuard DNS overview, AdGuard Knowledge Base. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
Website: adguard-dns.io · Markdown version · We are not affiliated with AdGuard.